This invention relates to device for increasing fuel economy in an internal combustion engine. More particularly, the invention relates to a device for mounting in the liquid fuel supply line of a vehicle and which modifies the surface tension and interfacial tension properties of the fluid, thus providing improved atomization of the fuel in the combustion chamber.
Increased fuel utilization in internal combustion engines has been a much sought after, though somewhat elusive, goal. Ever since the initial commercialization of internal combustion engines, thousands of different designs of carburetors, fuel injection devices, engine operating conditions, types of fuel, and engine designs have been investigated in an effort to optimize engine efficiency. Despite the millions of dollars invested in research and development of these engines, current commercial vehicles operate at a relatively low energy efficiency rate.
In recent years much emphasis has been placed on the fuel saving effectivenss of driving a vehicle 55 miles per hour rather than previously higher legal speeds. For many cars, the slower vehicle speed equates to a lower number of revolutions per minute for the engine which, in turn, extends the duration of the compression cycle of the engine. A longer compression time permits much more complete vaporization of fuel in the cylinder prior to ignition. More complete vaporization yields a lower fuel consumption necessary to maintain the lower speed. However, vaporization is still not complete even at 55 mph, and in traffic or other acceleration situations, an engine may run at higher revolutions per minute in lower gears and still suffer less complete vaporization.
The device of the invention affects the fuel in much the same manner as if a surfactant, e.g., a wetting agent, has been added to the fuel, thereby reducing the interfacial tension of the liquid. Reduction of the interfacial tension in the liquid will allow more complete vaporization for any unit of time, and will diminish the droplet size of any non-vaporized fuel. Both of these factors produce a more complete oxidation of the fuel, and therefore, contribute to improve fuel economy. While the apparatus of the invention has been shown to be effective in unbiased tests, the reason that the device operates in this manner is not well understood.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for attaching in the fuel line of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine which increases the fuel efficiency of the engine. It is another object of the invention to provide apparatus for treating liquid fuel to effect the properties of the liquid to provide more complete vaporization in the combustion chamber. It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a device for treating liquid fuel which reduces the surface tension and interfacial tension properties of the liquid. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.